It's springtime support and detox your LIVER!

Springtime according to Traditional Chinese Medicine is the time of the year when the Liver is most dominant in the body.  It may be now that symptoms associated with liver function may arise or get worse.  It is the best time of the year to support the liver in its work, as it is at its most receptive.

Ways to support the liver:

Eat green vegetables and salad leaves daily.  Other liver supporting foods include artichokes, chicory, radishes, dandelion coffee and beetroot.

Ways to stimulate bile flow – use Extra Virgin Olive oil in salad dressings, combine it with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

By drinking vegetable juices containing carrots, beetroot, celery, ginger, radishes, fennel or cabbage will help the liver to detoxify.

Add Turmeric to your food – stews, curry, soups or casseroles will help support the liver to work. 

Try to eat raw foods daily – fruit and vegetables.  These are both nourishing and cleansing. Fruit juices are also good, but beware of some brands. We were excited to see Acai and Goji juice tonight in Sainsbury’s for a reasonable price, until we noticed it was made from concentrate. If a juice is made from concentrate, its vitamin and mineral content will have been removed. Always buy juice PRESSED from the fruit, like the ‘Innocent’ brand. A further note about fruit- do not mix citrus fruits with non citrus at the same time- they do not mix well.

Drink lots of cleansing fluids – pure water, herbal teas throughout the day.

Take flaxseed daily approx 1-2tbsp of ground seeds soaked in water daily to aid bowel cleansing.  Good bowel function aids the liver to detoxify effectively.

Take Milk Thistle daily to support the liver in its work.

Avoid consuming sugar, caffeine, alcohol, salt, processed foods and additives.  These all add to the toxic load.

Remember to read the labels on all food packaging.

If you are beginning your body’s spring cleanse you may experience symptoms of fatigue, aches and pains or headaches or a flaring up of old symptoms.  This may well be an indication that the cleansing process has started.  To encourage the process drink more water and vegetable juices, have plenty of warm relaxing baths and take plenty of rest.

Please read our pages on TASTY DETOX FOODS and RAINBOW FOODS.

By clayton2010 in Detoxification on April 21, 2007